Vegas trip report : Paris - 6/7 - 6/12

Booked everything through Travelocity for 5 nights at Paris + airfare for $348 per person.

short summary at the end if you dont want to read all of this.

From Pittsburgh:

Flew Continental airlines, from Pittsburgh to Cleveland and transferred from there to Vegas since it was cheaper for us to fly there than to catch a direct flight or even drive to Cleveland then catch the flight there. We took a teeny little plane here to Cleveland, and I'm nowhere near a teeny guy, so the flight was very uncomfortable. our plane was supposed to get there in an hour, but we got there in 35 minutes. Had to wait a little over an hour for our flight to Vegas. Time flew by, but i was not a big fan of Clevelands airport. Not because I'm from Pittsburgh, it was just empty and had remodeling going on. Didnt seem too friendly there and it was confusing trying to figure out where to go.

Then got our plane form Cleveland to Vegas, plane was a little bigger but still cramped. Was exciting for my fiance to see Vegas lit up from the sky at night for the first time. Got Gray Line shuttle from the airport to the hotel. All buses seem to have those stinking ads on the side and makes it pretty impossible to see out of the windows, especially at night.

Hotel check in

Before we went, my fiance called Paris with our reservation number to see what type of beds we have. I told Travelocity we wanted a Queen in non smoking, but the reservation email didnt have a bed preference listed for us. When she talked to Paris, she was told we will have a Queen in non smoking with a microwave and the fridge is $10 a day. Well, we got in line for check in, only about 4 people in line and 2 people working at the check in. We got someone and they told us all they have available is a queen in smoking, or 2 queens in non smoking. My fiance didnt want smoking, even though i wasnt going to smoke in the room, but she couldnt deal with the chemicals in the air. So we took the 2 kings and told them we would call back in the morning to switch. Were offered an upgraded room with a flat screen tv and king size bed in i believe the Le Mans, could be wrong though, for $40 bucks a night. IWe figured no for now, but would have upgrade if i won $200. The elevators the whole trip were very fast, no waiting.

The Room

Had room 687, which had a breathtaking view of the roof of the 3rd floor where the spa is was and some of Ballys. So no strip or pool view. But then it occured to me that it probably wouldn't have mattered because the windows were so filthy that i probably couldn't even enjoy the view if it was nice. The room was ok, not spectacular but nicer than a regular motel room. Had a regular tube tv, probably about 19 or 20". Cable was not clear, only had a bout 20 channels. 1 channel was i guess a gay and lesbian channel with very weird movies on it. 8 channels of Asian programming, 1 Paris hotel safety channel, about 6 Harrahs promotional channels, and 5 cable stations. But i was going to watch tv for about 10 minutes a day so it really didnt bother me. Had some weird bloody booger thing on the wall. Had 2 chairs a table and a desk. Was not going to even touch the mini fridge. No microwave like we were told. But the bathroom was very impressive. A full length mirror on the door, a hair dryer, huge mirror above the sink, a bathtub, and a marble shower.

The pool

There was never alot of people in the pool, most people were sunbathing. But the pool area was nice. Had some of those mist things around the pool which helped made it a little cooler. But the water was freezing in the pool. Took about 10 minutes just to get in because it was so cold. The water all around the pool was 3 feet deep. And alot of people sat on the steps to get in the pool which made it a pain to get in sometimes. Not many people rented out the cabanas. Sometimes you had to move or wait for the sun to pop back out because of the Eiffel Tower. View of the tower was very nice. Waitresses though were very hot. First time we ordered drinks they had 16 ounce drinks for $12, or a 24 ounce souvenir cup for $18. We got 2 souvenir cups. 2nd time ordering drinks, my fiance got another souvenir cup and i ordered a bucket of 5 beers for $25. i was a little toasted. Pool area was nice, but we saw some way better looking pools at the other hotels. Nice if you want a pretty pool setting, but not recommended if you want an exotic setting with waterfalls.

The trip

Sunday
Arrived at 10:30 pm sunday night. Players club was closed so had to wait till the next morning. Alot of drunks on the strip. Walked past Ballys, Bills, through the Flamingo, past O'Sheas, IP, Harrahs, through the Venetian, over to the Wynn. Wynn was very beautiful, not alot of people though. spent about $40 gambling. lost it all. But a waitress did come to us while playing nickel slots. Got lost trying to leave the Wynn. Stopped at Wal Greens for a drink, prices werent bad. Walked all the way back to Paris then saw that i had a blood blister from my shoes, Awesome!

Monday
Woke up at 10:30am, by the time my fiance was done showering, we missed the Village breakfast buffet so had brunch. Was about $20 for each of us. This buffet was the best I've had all trip. Not real crowded, everything we ate was great. No complaints about the buffet at all. Crepe station was great, deserts, everything. Will definately go back again. Signed up for the players club, got a coupon book for mostly stuff at other Harrahs properties. Only stuff we got for Paris was for a free coffee with a crepe purchase and a free bath soap with a $35 purchase at one of the gift shops. Hit the pool, then gambled. Lost about $200 gambling. Took the Deuce to the 99 cent store. picked up some things, walked over to Target and got some more stuff. Took the Deuce back. Went to Planet Hollywood, casino was very nice. Hit up the Spice Market buffet. about $30 per person with $5 off coupon printed online. The amount of food was impressive but the quality wasnt too great. I heard great things about the buffet but didnt really see anything i couldnt get at a buffet back home. Didnt feel so good after my first plate. Made sure i grabbed cotton candy before i left though. then right before we left, had to go to the bathroom bad. Walked around PH. I was impressed with the place, but its kind of weird still having the shops still themed like it was when it was the Aladdin.

Tuesday
Took the free shuttle to Rio to check out the Wine Cellar, found out it wasnt open till 3pm. Gambled a little, got free drinks, went back to Paris, swam, went back to Rio. Ate at the buffet. Impressed with the size. Food was good, but not great. Alot of old ladies on your ass while your grabbing food. Went to the wine cellar, very nice inside. not too pricey. Sat on the couches and had some wine. We were only 2 of about 5 people there. Lost some more money gambling. Went back to Paris and the shuttle was packed. had to wait for the 2nd shuttle since the first filled up. Lost some more money at Paris. Checked out the Bellagio fountains. Went to Ballys to redeem our free $5 play from the Paris coupon book. Lost some money, didnt see a waitress. Went to Bills, got drunk. Sat at the back bar. There was a really cool bartender there. I cant remember his name, but he was from around Boston. Told some guy he had to play max credits at video poker for free drinks. I was only drinking the $1 foster drafts. But i was throwing in money in the poker machine betting max off and on so he gave me a few drinks. Was actually impressed by Bills. not too big but the staff there were pretty nice. And the price of drinks and food wasnt bad at all. Then proceded to lose some more money at Paris.

Wednesday
Hit the pool. Made reservations for Thursday at the Eiffel Tower restaurant. Forgot to bring pants, brought only shorts. Was told i need to wear pants but they have some i could wear, WTF? Went to the Flamingo for a free t-shirt from our total rewards coupon book if you gambled. Out of all the casinos, the Flamingo was the nicest to us as far as gambling. Lost some money, but got some back. Came out a little ahead but not alot. Drink service was on the ball. Went to the Flamingo buffet. Food wasnt as great as i remember it but was till good. Probably ranked #2 on my trip. Waiter was really nice and gave me a glass of milk with my cake and i didnt have to ask him. but had to hit the bathroom on the way out. Gambled some more at the Flamingo. Watched the go go dancers at the front. The Flamingo T shirts we got for gambling werent impressive, just a white t-shirt with the Flamingo logo over the left side. Went to Madame Tassauds, was a cool experience for us. Got some pics, stood outside of the fright attraction for about 15 minutes, nobody ever let us in so we left. Went over to Ceasars for a free medallion with a coupon. medallion was pretty nice for being free. Fiance had to go the the Coach store where the staff jumped all over everybody that walked in. Liked Ceasars. Saw the fountain that i think i got confused with something else cause it wasnt that great. The statues just spun around and moved. Walked through the Mirage. Just missed the animal habitat. Waited for the volcano, was packed but show was good. Went by Casino Royale, played a free slot outside and won $100 in free slot play inside. but the machines those are good for will only pay if you hit the jackpot so lost $100 of free slot play in 5 minutes. Signed up for Planet Hollywood players club. Fiance was winning big on survivor slot. We both got about $25 in free slot play, came in handy won a little bit of money. But the drunks were getting on our nerves so we left. Went back to Paris, lost some more money.

Thursday
Technically our last day since we had to get a shuttle back to the airport at 4 am. Woke up, swam, got drunk at the pool. Lost some more money at Paris. Went to the Eiffel Tower restaurant. I am not a big fan of spending alot of money to eat, especially in vegas where steak dinners are $5. But my Fiance really wanted to go. Went up, had to change my pants in the bathroom.View was awesome. got to watch the Bellagio fountains everytime they went off. Wine was $18 a glass, so she went with a $6 bottle of iced tea and i went with a $5 coke. She ordered a salad and roasted chicken. i got the filet mignon. Her chicken was almost half the price of my filet mignon, but she got all kinds of sides. all i got on my plate was the filet mignon in the center of it. food was very good, but all i can think of was the price. She complained and said i need to splurge. I proceeded its easy for her when shes betting .25 and hitting for a hundred bucks a pop. and my money is just disappearing. she ordered desert, got the white chocolate banana something. was very good. our bill came to $125 and with tip $150. It was good, but would have tasted better if i would have hit for some money during the week. Went to Harrahs for our tshirts. Hated having to walk through carnival court every time to go by Harrahs. We both lost money hard and fast at Harrahs. She got her tshirt which was exactly the same as the Flamingo, but it said Harrahs. Both disapointed by Harrahs slots. Walked down to the MGM, hit the souvenir shops past Planet Hollywood. Liked the prices but some stuff was just too cheap to be nice. I got a few cool license plates. she got some key chains. Got a pic with Elvis in front of the Polo Towers. That side of the strip though seems like its full of some shady characters. Hopefully that will change when the City Center opens up. Went by MGM, NYNY. We walked on the side where Monte Carlo and City center is. That area is desolate. We didnt see anyone entering or leaving Monte Carlo, and Monte Carlo is such a nice looking hotel. I dont know if we happened to walk by when nobody was going in and out or what. Then we walked through the maze of vomit and broken glasses in front of the city center. Not recommended to walk that way. Went back to Paris, lost some money.

Checkout
Nobody at the checkout. went back to the airport with the other millions of people. back home now.


Summary

Paris: where we stayed. Beautiful hotel. Rooms are ok, bathroom best part of room. Pool is pretty but not as nice as others we've seen. Casino was very tight for me. Waitresses were scarce. Village buffet: best buffet we had all trip.

Rio: casino was pretty nice. slots were in between. Drink service ok. Buffet was huge but quality was average. Pool looked amazing. Location doesnt seem great but thinking about staying there next trip for the right price. Afternoon shuttle service gets busy.

Harrahs: worst gambling for us. slots were tight. too crowded around carnival court and too noisy around the piano bar. Didnt see a waitress. Stayed there before on previous trip, not a big fan.

Wynn: Brief visit but beautiful place. waitresses came to us immediately. Would like to stay there.

Planet Hollywood: Very cool looking casino. Had to beg for a waitress though. Slots were ok. Buffet was expensive. Food was ok but wasnt too impressed. Would stay for a good rate.

Flamingo: Best slots we've played all week. drink service great. Buffet was good. may stay there next time.

 

Glad you had a nice trip. Did you keep the pants? LMAO

 

I've never heard of "loaner pants" - you have to wonder who had gone before you! Sorry it wasn't a winning trip, but I enjoyed the read. Thanks for posting!

 

Loner pants just don't think I can go there.

I agree. I never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a drink when I was gambling there.

 

yeah the pants thing was weird. i didnt get to keep them though. although women were allowed to wear whatever they wanted. they said only men had to wear pants, or unripped jeans with a collared shirt. but i guess if they wanted someone to drop over $100 to eat, the least they could've done was give someone loner pants. i think the guy sitting next to us had loaner pants too. i just hope those pants get washed often.

i dont understand how a company can own so many casinos but yet they can all be different as far as slots and drink service. i guess some just hurt more than others. if i'm dropping a hundred in 15 minutes, the least i can get is a free drink. if i dont see a waitress within 15 minutes, i'm out.

 

Yes...that is weird. Heard of loaner ties. Loaner jackets...but loaner PANTS???
Too Funny!

Thanks for the report.

 

As long as you both got players cards make sure you check for comped room offers on next trip. You can view them by creating an account online at Harrahs. Although sometimes a $348 combo price can beat airfare by itself, LOL!!! But if you were consistently using your card at the HET properties, you should be able to get some cheap rooms!

 

cool, i checked, they didnt give me crap yet. but i'd definately want to stay at rio or even the flamingo next time. paris was nice and a good location, but didnt seem like a real happening spot.

 

Thanks for the read. Funny about the pants. Yes, Eiffel Tower restaurant is PICKY. I had to wear REAL shoes - no sneakers allowed.

You'll get some offers and comps on your HET page in a few weeks. Probably some good offers for Rio and Flamingo. I personally like Rio best.

Thanks again for the read.

 

Rio Shuttle

where do I get the Rio shuttle from? Does it run all day and night?

Glen

 

Rio

Hello u get the Rio shuttle from harrahs and it runs till 1am


Rey

 

The Rio Shuttle picks up at Paris just past the valet pickup in front of AhSin Restaurant. Also at Harrahs in the parking garage on the ground floor where all the other shuttles come in.
First pick up for both is 10:15am and last pick up is 12:45am except on weekends when it runs til 3:00 or 4:00am.

At the Rio it picks up on the west side by the buffet.
10:00am - every 30 minutes - til 12:30am or 2:30(3:30)am on weekends. The weekend times vary according to what may be going on. I have even been there during the week when a special event was happening at one of the HET joints when it ran longer.

BTW, you do NOT have to be a HET member to ride, but HET Diamond/7Star players get to board first.

 

Thanks for posting. Nice TR.

later, GVJ

 

Nice TR

too funny about *loaner pants*
wonder if they offer to the ladies too lol

good to hear Flamingo was good for you , hoping to recapture some of my losses from last yr and earn more comps

:evillaugh

 

Great Post

You are right about the Paris Pool. Always cold. Can they at least get the Temp to 80 degree's. It's more like 72-75. way to cold